Automatic can opener



March 19, 1963 A. E. FORD AUTOMATIC CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1961 mai- 57 INVENTo 4f/4W f. did, WM MM March 19, 1963 A. E. FoRD AUTOMATIC CAN OPENER Filed April 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r/ar Ewig/jfl, WM ,7M

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United States Patent O BSLSSS AUTUMATIC CAN ENER Arthur E. Ford, llt) S. Pennsylvania St., indianapolis, lud.

Filed Apr. 5, 1961, Ser. No. @0,939 Claims. (Cl. Btl- 4) The present invention relates to an automatic can opener and is primarily concerned with the provision of a machine which is designed to receive a conventional can in a socket provided in the machine, and thereupon automatically to punch one or more holes in the permanently sealed can top without further attention from the attendant.

A primary object of the invention is to provide means in such a machine whereby entry of a can into the machine socket will automatically start the can opening cycle and whereby the machine will be automatically stopped when the cycle is completed.

A further object of the invention is so to design .the socket of such a machine that when a can is inserted into the socket far enough to start the cycle, it will be so shrouded within the socket as to be substantially inaccessible for movement out of the socket by the attendant, until the machine cycle hae been completed.

Still another object o the invention is to provide mechanism whereby, upon completion of the machine cycle, the can will be automatically pushed forward from the socket to a position in which it will be accessible for removal by the attendant.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in such a machine, support means for the can of such character that, in case the machine is stopped for any reason in mid-cycle, the support means may be lowered relative to the punch means, to permit extraction of the can from the machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel cycling means within the drive mechanism for such a machine.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specitic construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts being broken away or shown in section for clarity of illustration, and a can to be opened being shown in an intermediate position within the machine socket;

FlG. 2 is a front elevation of the machine, parts being broken away or shown in section for clarity of illustration;

FlG. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine with parts broken awaT and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of parts of the cycling mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that l have illustrated a box-like base within which is housed an electric motor ll having a spindle l2. The roof i3 of the base is formed with a port 14 therethrough with which registers a support plate l5. Pour studs le which may be integral with the base lil are formed with vertical bores i7 in which are reciprocably received and guided a corresponding number of pins l iixed to, and depending from, the support plate l5. Thus, the plate is guided for reciprocation within the port 14.

A rock shaft l? is suitably journalled in a wall of the base l@ and, at one end within the base, said shaft carries a cam 21. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that, when the high point Z2 of the cam is engaged with the plate l5, the upper surface of said plate is pressed against a shoulder 21 lixedly disposed within a shroud indicated generally by the reference numeral 25. At its outer end, the shaft 19 carries a nger lever 2@ so arranged that, when the distal end of the lever is depressed, a lower portion 23 of the cam 21 is moved into registry with the plate l5, whereby said plate is lowered through the port 14. A torsion spring 24 is so associated with the shaft 19 and the cam 21 as to tend to hold the cam 21 in its illustrated position.

The shroud Z5 comprises an opstanding rear wall 26 and side walls 27, 27 which extend forwardly from the rear wall a distance which somewhat exceeds the radius of a conventional can 29 of the type with which the machine is designed for use. Said shroud denes a socket 28; and it will be seen that, because of the described dimensions of the side walls, when a can 29 is supported on the plate l5 and is pushed into the .socket 28 substantially into engagement with the rear wall 26, it will be diiticult, if not impossible, for an attendant to grasp the can in such a way as to remove it from the socket.

A roof plate 3G' closely overlies the top of a conventional can within the socket, and is formed with a port 3l proportioned and arranged to permit the passage therethrough of a punch head 32. Said punch head is provided with a stem 33 which is guided for reciprocation in a bushing 34 liXedly mounted within the machine housing. A cutter element 35 depends from the lower face of the punch head 32 and, in the illustrated embodiment of the machine, is so shaped that, when said cutter element is forced through the top of a conventional can, it will cut a triangular opening through said cover and will press the slashed metal tab into the inside of the can, whereafter the cutter may be readily withdrawn from the can top. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the cutter head carries, also, a cylindrical cutter 36 so arranged, with respect to the cutter 35, that said cutter 36 will punch a circular vent hole in the can top at a point substantially diametrically opposite the position of the hole formed by the cutter 35. ln some instances, it may be preferable to omit the secondary cutter 36.

An actuator lever 37 is pivotally supported, between its ends, on a fulcrum element 38 xedly carried in fone side wall of the housing. One arm 39 of said lever 37 extends rearwardly, then downwardly into the region of the shroud 25, then rearwardly and laterally behind the rear wall 2.6, and terminates at its distal end in a forwardly projecting finger 40 which enters the shroud and the socket 28 through a port il formed in the rear shroud wall 26. The lever arm 39 is so proportioned that, when said lever is in its normal position, the distal tip of the finger 4t? extends forwardly beyond the rear wall 26 by a distance greater than that by which the socket depth exceeds the radius of a conventional can. Stated otherwise, the linger 40 is so arranged that, when the lever is in its normal position, the transverse diameter of a can touching the distal tip of the finger 413 will be located forwardly beyond the forward edges of the side walls 27.

'Ihe opposite arm 42 of the lever 37 is. positioned for cooperative engagement with the plunger 43 of .a conventional, normally-open switch 44- which dominates the circuit for energization of the motor 11. In accordance with conventional practice, the switch 44 includes a spring (not shown) which resiliently holds the plunger d3 in its projected position, and the parts are so proportioned and designed that the plunger will thereby yieldably hold spear-.ee

it the lever 37 in its normal position in which the tip of the linger 40 is disposed as above described.

Suitable drive means for reciprocating the punch head 32 is provided. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the motor spindle 12 carries a sprocket 45 and a chain 46 is trained over said sprocket and over a sprocket 47 carried by a shaft 4S journalled in the housing near the top of the socket 28. Said shaft 48 further carries a pinion 49 meshing with a gear Sii on a further shaft 51. 'Ille shaft 51 carries a further pinion 52 meshing with a gear r rotor 53 fixed to a shaft 54. Spaced forwardly from the rotor 53, the shaft 54 further carries an eccentric 55 which is disposed in the line of reciprocation of the stem 33. A ring 56 is journalled on the eccentric 55 and is provided with a radial ear 57 which is pivotally pinned at 58 to the upper end of the stem 33. Thus, the ring 56 with its ear 57 and pivot pin 5S constitutes pitman means providing a positive drive connection between the rotor 53 and the punch head 32.

A pin 59 is carried by the lever arm 42 and projects into cooperative relation with the adjacent planar face 60 of the rotor 53. As is most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the parts are so proportioned and designed that, when the distal end of the pin 59 bears on the face 60 of the rotor 53, the lever arm 42 will thereby be held in a position such as to hold the plunger 43 of the switch d4 in switch-closing position. Said rotor face is formed with an arcuate socket or slot 61 upon the radius at which the pin 59 engages the rotor, and said slot is so located that, as the rotor turns in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, the pin 59' will drop into the leading end of the slot or socket 61 just before the punch head 32 reaches the top of its stroke. Of course, when the pin drops into the slot 6l, the spring behind the plunger 43 is thereby permitted to shift said plunger to switch-open position and, at the same time, to swing the lever 37 in a counter-clockwise direction to its norma position.

As shown, the housing comprises metal side Walls which may be spanned by a panel 62 preferably formed of tralucent material; `and a light bulb 63 may be mounted inside the housing, a switch 64 .being provided for controlling the energizing circuit for said light bu-lib. T-hus, when the machine is standing on a bar, for instance, with the open mouth of the socket 28 facing the back bar, the panel e2 will face the customers at the bar; and advertising material or the like vmay .be imprinted or otherwise displayed on the exposed face of the tralucent panel 62,

' such material being emphasized, of course, by `the iight source within the casing.

`In operation, the energizing circuits for the motor 11 `and the lamp 63 will be connected to a suitable source of power. Of course, the switch d4 dominates the energizing lcircuit for the motor, and said switch is iopen at' all times when the pin 59 is -within the slot 611, as shown. `In FIG. 1, a can 29 is indicated in an intermediate position. The can has engaged the tip of the finger 4b and has moved the lever slightly in a clockwise direction, but not enough to withdraw the pin 59 from the slot 611. f, now, the can 29 is moved farther to the left to substantial engagement With the rear wall 26 of the socket 2S, it will be clear that the lever 3-7 will be moved far enough to Withdraw the pin 59 from the slot 611 and to depress `the plunger 43 sufficiently to vclose the switch d4. The motor 1=1 will thus be immediately energized `to rotate the gear 53 in Ia counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. The slot 61 thus passes promptly from beneath the distal end .of the .pin 59, land said pin end will bear against the plane surface `60 as the gear 53 continues to turn. Rotation of the gear, of course, causes the crank or eccentric S to travel in an orbit about the center of the shaft 54, thereby moving the punch head 32 slowly but powerfully downwardly through the port 31 to force the cutters and 36 to penetrate the cover of the can 29, in the manner described above. During the second half of the revolution yof .the rotor 53, the punch head 52 is withdrawn through the port 311, thus withdrawing fthe cutters from the can; and shortly before the gear 53 completes its revolution, ythe lead-ing end of Ithe `slot 61 cornes under the end of the pin 59. Since the spring Within the switch 4d is constantly urging the plunger 43 outwardly, that plunger will move to its fully projected position as soon as the pin 59 drops into the slot 61. The switch 44 is thus opened to deener-gize the motor 11, and the drive will coast to a stop, usually before the trailing end of the slot 611 reaches the pin 59. However, if the drive tends to continue to coast farther, of course engagement of the trailing end of the slot 61 with the pin 59 .will arrest the drive in the position illustrated in FIG. 2.

As the pin `59 drops into :the slot 61, the lever 37 will be sharply shifted in a countereclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. l, and the linger 4Q, moving to the night as Viewed in FIG. l, will push or ikick the opened can to a position in which its transverse diameter is located outwardly beyond the outer edges ofthe Walls 27, whereby .the can may readily be gripped by the attendant for removal from `the socket.

'If the machine `should be stopped in mid-cycle, .as by a `power failure or by jamming of any kind, the cam may be disengaged from the cutters by depressing the linger lever 2.0 to shift ythe cam `surface 26 into association with the bottom face of the base plate 15. Thereby, the plate Iwill be lowered suciently so that the top of the can will be moved to a level below .the lower-most point attained by the cutters 35 and 36 during the machine cycle, thereby releasing the cam i2@ `for removal from the socket 28. After the can has been so removed, and when ythe lever 20 is released, the spring 24 will return the lever and the cam 2d to Itheir positions illustrated in FIG. 1.

`If desired, the cam 2.11 may be for-med with a plurality of peripherally-spaced ats at varying radial distances yfrom the axis of the trook shaft l19, whereby, :by set-ting the lever 210 in selected positions, the plate 15- will be posi-tioned to accommodate cams of varying height-s.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic can opener comprising a base having a receptacle support, a punch supported from said base `for reciprocation toward and away from said support, a rotor having a crank mounted for rotation on an axis perpendicular to the line of reciprocation of said punch, pitman means providing a driving connection between said rotor and said punch, 1a lever oscillably supported from said base and having a portion disposed for shifting engagement by a receptacle positioned on said support in registry with said punch, an electric motor supported from l said base and operatively connected to drive said rotor, a normally-open switch dominating the energizing circuit for said motor, said lever having a further portion constructed and arranged to close said switch when said iirstnarned lever is shifted by a receptacle so positioned, and means moving in time with said rotor and coacting with said lever to hold said lever in switch-closing position during travel of said punch into and then out of penetrating engagement with a receptacle so positioned, and then to release said lever after withdrawal of said punch from such penetrating engagement.

2. An automatic can opener comprising a base having a receptaclesupport, a punch supported from said base for reciprocation toward and away from said support, a rotor having a crank mounted for rotation on an axis perpendicular to the line of reciproeation of said punch,

means providing a positive motion-converting driving connection between said rotor and said punch to drive said punch toward said support and then return said punch away from said support in response to a single revolution of said rotor, a lever oscillably supported from said base and having a portion disposed for shifting engagement by a receptacle positioned on said support in registry with said punch, an electric motor supported fromsaid base and operatively connected to drive said rotor, a normallyopen switch dominating the energizing circuit for said motor, said lever having a further portion constructed and arranged to close said switch when said first-named lever is shifted by a receptacle so positioned, and means moving in time with said rotor and coacting with said lever to hold said lever in switch-closing position during travel of said punch into and then out of penetrating engagement with ia receptacle so positioned, and then to release said lever after withdrawal of said punch from such penetrating engagement.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said receptacle support is a plate mounted for reciprocatiion ytoward and away from said punch, and cam means carried by said base and movable to retain said plate at any one of a plurality of positions relative to said punch.

4. An automatic can opener comprising a base having a receptacle support plate reciprocably mounted thereon, punch means supported from said base and -disposed above said support plate for reciprocation toward and away therefrom, and cam means supported from said hase and operatively engaging `said support plate, said cam means being movable relative to said base to retain said support plate in any one of a plurality of positions relative to said punch means.

5. An automatic can opener comprising `a can support,

shroud means upstanding from said support and comprising a rear wall and lforwardly-extending walls defining a can-receiving socket having a front-to-rear depth exceeding the radius of a can to be opened, punch means reciprocably suspended above the upper end of said socket, means for driving said punch means downwardly to penetrate the top of a can disposed in said socket, actuator means having a portion normally disposed in said socket at a point spaced forwardly from said rear wall by a distance greater than that by which said socket depth exceeds such a can radius, means activated by movement of said actuator means portion `substantially to said rear wall to energize said driving means to move said punch through a single reciprocatory cycle, means driven by said driving means to hold said actuator means portion in its rearmost position through said cycle, and then to release said actuator means for return to its normal position, and means effective upon such release to return said actua-tor means portion to its normal position and thereby force the can forwardly into Iaccessible position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,791,828 lHatchett May 14, 1957 

1. AN AUTOMATIC CAN OPENER COMPRISING A BASE HAVING A RECEPTACLE SUPPORT, A PUNCH SUPPORTED FROM SAID BASE FOR RECIPROCATION TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SUPPORT, A ROTOR HAVING A CRANK MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE LINE OF RECIPROCATION OF SAID PUNCH, PITMAN MEANS PROVIDING A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND SAID PUNCH, A LEVER OSCILLABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID BASE AND HAVING A PORTION DISPOSED FOR SHIFTING ENGAGEMENT BY A RECEPTACLE POSITIONED ON SAID SUPPORT IN REGISTRY WITH SAID PUNCH, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPPORTED FROM SAID BASE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO DRIVE SAID ROTOR, A NORMALLY-OPEN SWITCH DOMINATING THE ENERGIZING CIRCUIT FOR SAID MOTOR, SAID LEVER HAVING A FURTHER PORTION CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID SWITCH WHEN SAID FIRSTNAMED LEVER IS SHIFTED BY A RECEPTACLE SO POSITIONED, AND MEANS MOVING IN TIME WITH SAID ROTOR AND COACTING WITH 